Expert: Jana Connell RVT, CVT - 4/8/2011

Question
I have a 5 year old Rottweiler named Roxy. She had been limping for a couple weeks until the other day when she completely stopped using her left hind leg to walk. She never complained about pain and at first it seemed like there was something with her toes as she didn't like when I touched the middle two.

The next day I made an appointment for the vet... they diagnosed her with a torn acl after taking x-rays of only that leg, not the other to compart to. She had no swelling in either leg, knee or toe area for that matter, so I was suprised. I spent hundreds of dollars getting the x-rays, exam, medicine, sedation and bloodwork. The next day I received a call from the vet that the bloodwork was good except for one level (can't remember) but she was not concerned about it as "it's not conclusive why those levels are high, it could be many things".

I have read up on all the surgical and non-surgical methods. If money was not an issue I would have her get surgery if it kept up or her pain grew... but I'm looking for something alternative. I know that the scar tissue will most likely be the fix for either methods and that's where I'd like to start.

I live in the Pacific Northwest, Seattle area and don't have any knowledge of practioners in my area. Any suggestions, advice or help with her healing would be much appreciated.

Answer
Hi Dan,
Rottys seem to really be prone to this problem. I know many of them have issues with really straight stifles (knee) so that must contribute to this.

It is very common to see these dogs with ACL tears. I have looked up many alternatives to surgery for this issue because it is so common. While my boss never really advocated these methods (many don't work is why) I feel they might be worth a try.

I will include some articles for you to read about how the surgery works, but I have some links to alternative method sites for you.

This one is about the surgery etc:

http://www.peteducation.com/article_print.cfm?c=2+2084&aid=474

One thing you must keep in mind is that if you opt for a natural alternative and it doesn't work, she will be a lot closer to developing degenerative arthritis in that knee. The other, very common problem we see is that once a dog starts to limp on one leg they put so much pressure on the other leg that it ruptures as well.

Limping IS a sign of pain. I get many questions from owners about this and they always tell me the dog shows no sign of pain, but won't walk on the leg. What kind of signs are they looking for? Remember, dogs are still 'animals' in the respect that they have instincts to 'hide their pain' lest they be eaten by a predator. We know that isn't going to happen, but they don't!

So, yes, limping is a sign of pain and packing the leg, (not using it at all) is not only a sign of pain but of instability as well. She doesn't feel like she can trust this leg, so she takes it out of the equation.

That article above will show you why that is.

This site is written by an owner like you, and while I cannot vouch for anything she says, it's worth looking through for alternatives.

http://dogkneeinjury.com/about/

There are practitioners all over your area that you can confer with. Just do a search for orthopedic veterinarians in your local area. Jot down the phone numbers and give them a call. Ask about free consultations. Some give them, some won't.

Now I have read this site many times. The person who wrote it is an owner, but has done a lot of research and has many links and articles on alternative methods for recovery. Most of these are very sound because he/she is adamant about the resting period for these dogs.

http://www.tiggerpoz.com/
Give it a good read and then you need to decide what you want to do.
Don't wait too long, because she will rupture the other knee if you do.
She might anyway, so be prepared for that.

Now having said all of that, I can tell you that the surgery is very successful most of the time and dogs do very well after a few months of recovery etc. It is a very complex surgery so it has a longer healing time then some other leg surgeries.  

It's good to be informed Dan. Do your reading, call a lot of other vets and then decide. Don't forget to do some research or ask about acupuncture as well. While it won't cure the tear, it can help with a lot of issues.

Good luck and let me know how it goes.:-)